Vintage and distressed mason jars make beautiful vases, attractive pen holders, and great accessories for shelving. But you don’t have to buy them from specialty furniture and antique stores. You can easily make them yourself at home and customize their coloring to match your home decor.
Materials you’ll need for this project:
Mason jars – preferably jars with varying textures
Acrylic or chalk paint (chalk paint creates the best final product)
Nail file or fine grit sandpaper
Optional – chalk
Clean your jars first. Soap or rubbing alcohol work well. Using a soft paint brush (leaves less brush stroke lines), paint the entire outside of the jar with the first coat of chalk paint. Let it dry completely (one hour minimum). Add a second coat if necessary and let that dry completely as well.
Using your nail file or fine grit sandpaper, lightly sand the raised areas of the mason jar. This would consist of the threading for the lid, any text, or raised patterns on the glass.
Optional: You can rub naturally worn areas of the jar with white chalk to enhance the antiqued look. Blend the chalk with your fingers and add more where necessary. Don’t be afraid to go a little crazy with this step! Often times, more distressing is better.
